


We Love Like Fools

by monkeystypinghamlet



Category: Nothing Much to Do
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-28
Updated: 2014-08-31
Packaged: 2018-02-15 03:28:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2214096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monkeystypinghamlet/pseuds/monkeystypinghamlet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben's thought process around/during "Idiots" and what might have happened after it cut to black.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Lauren Aquilina's "Fools" because it's just the perfect bean song in my eyes.

Ben couldn’t take it any longer. Beatrice and Hero had been hadn’t been at school for almost a week now and he was worried about what was going on. He’d finally worked up the nerve to text Bea last night, having drafted and deleted many texts already, but she hadn’t replied.

That really wasn’t surprising, he told himself. Are we even friends?

He’d stayed for a long time after Claudio’s outburst during Hero’s birthday party. God, that had been awful. Ben still couldn’t believe that even after what they’d decided, Claudio had gone and done that in front of everyone. He’d been ignoring Claudio for now, trying to make the problem disappear as per usual, but that wouldn’t last forever.

So here he was. Driving to the Dukes’ house instead of school. He knew that there was almost no chance of convincing Hero out of the house, but he really missed Bea. He knew that she had to support her cousin but surely she couldn’t keep missing school, she needed to take care of herself.

Ben could only imagine how tough it was. He hadn’t been able to think of anything but the party for a whole week now, and he hadn’t been affected by it at all. Well, not directly. He’d barely spoken to Claude and Pedro. His supposed best friends, who were acting like idiots about all of this. What had they even seen?

Ben knocked on the door and Beatrice answered. She was fully dressed, which Ben took as a good sign, but the dark circles under her eyes told a different story.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. Instinctively Ben wanted to bite back with a remark about her cold greeting, but he knew that now was not the time.

“I wanted to see how you were,” he said. “It’s been a while since you and Hero were at school.” Bea sighed. 

“Come in,” she said. “Have you had breakfast yet?” Bea led Ben inside to the kitchen where a packet of frozen waffles was sitting open on the bench.

“I have,” he said, “but I’ve always been a fan of second breakfast.” Ben saw the corner of Bea’s mouth fold upwards into a smile.

“Alright then,” she said, putting two waffles into the toaster.

“So how is she?” Ben asked.

“I don’t know,” Bea said, running her hands through her hair. “She won’t say anything. Not a word. She walks around the house like a ghost and I just - I don’t know what to do. What are they saying at school?”

“I think it’s better that you don’t know,” Ben said hesitantly. Poor Hero, he thought.

“I just don’t understand any of what’s going on,” Bea said. “How is this even happening? Where on earth did Claudio get all those crazy ideas?”

“He and Pedro said they saw something,” Ben explained, “but they never told me what exactly.” The waffles popped out of the toaster and Bea handed one to Ben.

“I’m so confused. Rumours are just awful and horrible and I can’t believe this is happening to Hero. _Hero_. Of all people.”

“I know. I don’t understand it either, Beatrice. I’m just as confused as you.” Bea stared at Ben when he said this, as if trying to work out some ulterior motive.

“I want to set things straight,” she said. “But I don’t know how.”

“Could you make a video?” Ben asked. “I know it sounds crazy but–”

“I’ve tried,” Bea said. “But I just can’t do it. I’ve sat in front of the camera but I can’t get the words out, I don’t even know what to say.”

“So I’ll help you,” Ben said. Bea just stared at him. “Why not? I can vlog too, you know. I’ll be your moral support.”

“Moral support?” Bea asked.

“Yeah,” Ben said. “Sound okay?”

“It does, actually,” Bea said and Ben could see her relax a little. “Support. Wow.”

Ben considered how hard this must’ve been on her. How she was caring for her cousin but at the same time trying so hard not to fall apart herself.

“Let’s do it now,” Ben said.

“But physics starts in fifteen minutes.”

“So we miss physics. Big deal.” Bea laughed. “I’ll drive us to school after we film this. Just one day, Beatrice. You can do this. Okay?”

Ben waited for Bea’s response, waited for her to realise how crazy this all sounded.

“Okay,” she said. “Let’s film.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

“Don’t worry, Hero’s asleep in my room,” Bea said as they went upstairs. “The camera is set up like usual.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been in your bedroom before,” Ben said. 

“Well, don’t get too excited. We’re going to Hero’s room.”

“Oh.” Bea pushed the door open and Ben followed her inside. He’d only ever seen Hero’s room from those first few videos he’d watched but it has barely changed since. The only difference now was that the floor was covered in clothes and the bin was full to the brim with tissues.

“So how are we going to do this?” Bea asked, sitting down on the bed. Ben stood awkwardly, not knowing whether to join her or not.

“Let’s just start,” Ben said. “And see what happens.” The camera was set up directly opposite where Bea had sat so Ben went to turn it on. Screw it, he thought, sitting down on the bed next Bea. Their knees brushed.

“Hi guys,” he said. He felt electricity surge through his body. “Uh, Ben here. I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about me.”

 

Ben didn’t know what to do when Leo interrupted. Bea had been becoming more and more relaxed every second they spent together but that had all faded away instantly when Leo walked in. 

Ben wanted to put his arm around Bea to let her know that he was on her side. That he wasn’t talking to Claudio or Pedro and he didn’t plan on fixing that until they saw the error of their ways. That he was here for Bea and always would be.

The instincts he was feeling to protect and hold her didn’t go away once Leo left.

Could he put his arm around her? Maybe reach for her hand?

He imagined the look of disgust that might appear on her face and stayed still.

But he didn’t know how much longer he could last. As Bea started talking at her usual rapid pace, it was easy for him to slip out of conversation. He contented himself with just looking at her. Just staring at how beautiful she was and wondering how he’d gone so long without seeing it.

He would look away. Eventually. Just not now.

But then Bea stopped talking and turned to him. And she was looking at him in the exact same way.

Had she had that look in her eyes the entire time they’d been filming?

“Bea,” Ben said cautiously. “I know there’s a lot going on right now. I know your priority at the moment is Hero and looking after her.” She nodded. “But it’s just - I am so conflicted because you are sitting right here and I can’t not comfort you. I’m sorry.”

Ben held out his arms and finally, they embraced. Her arms crept around his back and she buried her face into his shoulder. All the tension she’d been holding finally released. She was crying and Ben’s fingers started lacing through her hair.

“It’s okay,” he said. “We’ll work it out. Everything will be okay.”

“God, I’m so sorry,” Bea said. “I’m never like this. I swear.”

“I believe you,” Ben said, and those words had much more meaning than just as a reaction to Bea’s tears.

“Thank you,” Bea gasped. “Because it feels like no one at all does. Not even Leo. I feel so incredibly alone.”

“Hey,” Ben said. “Look at me. You are not alone. I’m here.” She smiled.

“I know.”

“Beatrice,” Ben said carefully. “I don’t think I love anything in the world as much as I love you. Is that strange?”

Ben could feel his heart beating. His blood pumping. Right now, he had enough time to count the stars in her eyes.

“All I know,” Bea said, “is that I can’t even think about what’s happened with Hero when I think about loving you. And that is so dangerous.”

Ben wasn’t going to lie, he’d thought about this moment. He’d imagined how it might happen over and over but he’d always thought it would happen impulsively. This was the exact opposite. As he brushed the hair off her face and cupped her cheek, he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew the leap he was taking and he knew that he wanted to take it. He wanted to kiss Beatrice more than anything and here was his moment. Had this moment ever happened before? It felt like they existed together in a whole other world.

“I love you,” he said and he kissed her.

When he pulled away, the look was still there in her eyes. Their foreheads still nestled together, she tugged on the front of his shirt.

“I love you, too.”

 


End file.
